An NGO is looking for 40,000 young people to offer them job opportunities in the 'Waste4Meal' agriculture

By Suleiman Shehu

Contents

An NGO, Agricultural Social Entrepreneurship Foundation (ASEF), has said that no fewer than 40,000 Nigerian youths will be trained for job opportunities in its agricultural project ‘Waste4Meal’.

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ASEF President, Mr. Oluwole Azeez, made this known during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with New Generation Nutrition (NGN) and FIDAS African, at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Waste4Meal is the conversion of waste into usable agricultural products such as fertilizers, animal feed and oil.

Azeez said 40,000 Nigerians and no fewer than 100,000 African youth and women will be trained on black soldier fly farming and waste recycling, with the aim of enabling them to earn a living, promote food security and reduce poverty.

He said the trainees would be divided into groups to be spread across all states in Nigeria and other African countries such as Ghana, South Africa, Liberia, Uganda and Cameroon.

“People in the cluster will create farms for themselves and work with investors who will contribute money to the project for them.

“I believe Nigeria can feed itself if citizens get involved in the project,” he said.

Azeez said Nigeria, being the largest importer of animal feed in Africa, was importing the protein components of animal feed that could be generated locally, using food waste and other organic waste and the black soldier fly.

“Banana peels, amala waste and rice can be converted into fertilizer and protein that fish and pigs can eat and also into oil that we use to fry meat,” Azeez said.

Also speaking, ASEF Executive Director, Ms Rosemary Adebayo, said the MoU aimed to create awareness and empowerment in the agro-insertion industry and introduce Africans to the waste4meal project.

“We intend to promote alternative sources of protein for farmers to reduce the difficulties they face in the agricultural sector in Nigeria and reduce the amount spent on animal feed.

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“The Waste4meal project is about training people on the entire value chain of the profitability of the black soldier fly,” he said.

In her remarks, IFAD Africa Executive Director, Ms. Omolola Elsie, said the organization, being a decentralized online training platform focused on agriculture, would ensure the success of the training.

Elsie said her platform would be used to implement the entire training component of the project.

Also speaking, NGN representative, Mr. John Olabisi, said the project would address the problem of insufficient food and feed for livestock in Nigeria.

In his own contribution, Dr Debo Akande, Director, Business Incubation Platform (BIP), IITA, and Executive Adviser to the Oyo State Governor on Agribusiness, commended the organizers of the project.

Akande, represented by the Director of Corporate and Social Governance at IITA, Mr. Wale Oladokun, said it was a source of joy for people to receive training and be able to convert the outcomes of such training into profitable ways. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Remi Koleoso/Wale Sadeeq